Last week George Washington University President Stephen J. Trachtenberg announced that the GW Foggy Bottom campus will close during the Sept. 29-30 World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, prompting student protest.
After the Metropolitan Police Department requested “in the strongest terms” possible, the University decided to close campus from Sept. 27 through Oct. 2.
On Friday, Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m., over 150 students gathered at GW’s Kogan Plaza to protest Trachtenberg’s decision. Management Science Professor Tom Nagy and four students, including members of the GW Action Coalition, a student group organizing for the protests, spoke, outlining students’ arguments against the close.
While the Action Coalition was concerned with the effect the close will have on their ability to protest, many students were most concerned with trying to find a place to stay over the five day period.
“We spend a lot of money on housing, and they’re just kicking us out,” first-year student Lesley Heffel said.
As the protesters at GW marched one block from the student press conference to the president’s office, junior Amir Bayati said, “It’s a mockery, man! A mockery of all the values this University is supposed to stand for. Just two weeks ago, [at the GW opening convocation] they told us and our parents that they would do the same as last year?suspend visitation, but keep the campus open. My friends who live in California, Puerto Rico, Cuba, now have to pay to go home.”
“One of my roommates is from Tokyo. What’s she going to do? She can’t afford to go home,” first-year student Jessica Landesman said.
According to Gretchen King, GW Director of Media Relations, the University is encouraging students to go home or stay with relatives or friends during this time. King reported the school will provide free bus service home for students who live within 250 miles of campus, and hotels will be available for students unable to go home for financial or health reasons.
Additionally, the school will issue students travel loans valued up to $600 which must be repaid by the end of the semester in December.
Trachtenberg informed the general community via email on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 6 of his decision to close down campus for the protests. King pointed out that the administration was giving three weeks notice of the closing to the University community, but students and faculty were nonetheless shocked, as neither faculty nor student leaders received prior notice.
“If the police think it’s dangerous, maybe it’s right that we’re closing,” first-year student Samantha Saifer said. “I don’t mind going home, even though it’s really cool that we’re in the middle of it.”
King said that the University does not see the decision as a “political” move.
“Ultimately we decided it was best for our students and faculty and staff in terms of the safety and welfare of our students. It’s not a step we wanted to take, but it’s a step we felt we had to take.”
According to King, the IMF asked GW to host two separate events in conjunction with the meetings later this month, but GW declined, unwilling to take a stance in the debate.
“If we stayed open and someone got hurt the first question asked would be ‘Why didn’t you close down?’ We certainly respect the rights of all involved and their right to participate [in the protests],” King said. “We encourage our students to exercise their first amendment rights … We have a very vocal population of students who are interested in protesting. They are distraught at the University’s decision, and we recognize that.”
additional reporting by Eric Nazar
